Steve Levy's Blog (261)

10+ ways to improve your office etiquette

Leave it to to the techies to speak honestly.

#1: Watch the volume of your voice

#2: Use speakerphones with care

#3: Be sensitive about what you bring for lunch

#4: Respect people’s privacy

#5: Fix, or attempt to fix, what you break

#6: Keep the lunchroom clean

#7: Be punctual for meetings

#8: Be careful about… Continue

Added by Steve Levy on November 12, 2008 at 8:47am — 2 Comments

Me too! Me too! Me too!

"The Treasury Department is under siege by an army of hired guns for banks, savings and loan associations and insurers — as well as for improbable candidates like a Hispanic business group representing plumbing and home-heating specialists. That last group wants the Treasury to hire its members as contractors to take care of houses that the government may end up owning through buying distressed mortgages."

Aren't recruiters hurting too?…

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Added by Steve Levy on November 12, 2008 at 8:25am — No Comments

Maureen in fishnets and pasties

I know many in RBC Land say to themselves, "I know how to write Boolean strings but how come I can't make a hire?" or "I've been using the phone since I was three but I'm afraid of talking to a gatekeeper!"

Maureen Sharib feels your phone pain - really she does. I've known her for a few years and she's confided to me her fear of the phone and her solution to her problem. It's like me with crowds; I'm deathly afraid of making speeches but I've had to mentally… Continue

Added by Steve Levy on November 11, 2008 at 10:34am — 3 Comments

Viagra for recruiters

Gerry Crispin and Mark Mehler of CareerXroads put out an Update newsletter that should be part of your regular recruting reads.

In the update that just hit my Inbox, G&M shared some ideas from their… Continue

Added by Steve Levy on November 11, 2008 at 9:45am — No Comments

When recruiters don't catch lies on resumes

Candidate Lies, Recruiter Doesn't Check, Company pays Severance Benefits

National Medical Health Card in Port Washington, NY hired a recruiter to help recruit a new head of HR. This recruiter failed to uncover that the person eventually hired concealed two years of employment with two employers, although the recruiter did check… Continue

Added by Steve Levy on November 11, 2008 at 9:01am — 2 Comments

Stop believing it's a bear market for recruiting

Financial Times.

These two words should be part of your daily work schedule just as you check your email for resumes or your ATS for candidates. Recruiting can't be viewed as merely a relationship (although if more viewed recruiting as a relationship activity rather than something that closes a job order or gets an opening off the books, this would be a very big step).

In today's Financial Times,… Continue

Added by Steve Levy on November 10, 2008 at 8:23pm — No Comments

Another example of why government cannot be trusted

This post is political in nature. Other than the next clause, I won't mention the word "recruiting." But in the longer term, following and understanding political, economic, social and technological issues is critical to the services we provide the business sector... Remember, be a PEST.

Finance fascinates me because of it's nexus to politics - financial policy is always tangled with political intent: The impact of lobbyists and related influencers on the… Continue

Added by Steve Levy on November 10, 2008 at 8:15am — 3 Comments

China to spend $586 Billion on infrastructure and social welfare

Can you imagine how much human capital we could create here in the US if we spent a sum equal to the recent bailout of a bunch of spoiled risk takers on technical education, literacy, housing, and wellness? On innovation and patent protection? On civility?

Imagine so much talent that recruiters would have to really sell the company and the opportunity because of competing job offers at all levels? That would separate the wheat from the chaff!

This is what… Continue

Added by Steve Levy on November 9, 2008 at 8:24pm — 3 Comments

Uh Duh Recruiting Ads

Out of curiosity Indeed'ed recruiter jobs this morning 50 miles from Huntington, NY. Check this out...

TD AMERITRADE is looking for a talented Recruiting… Continue

Added by Steve Levy on November 9, 2008 at 9:53am — 2 Comments

Microsoft around the world - and dotNET too

5:18 PM EST and I'm here at the Islandia Marriot for Microsoft's roadshow where I get back to my roots and rub elbows and talk high tech. Even better, following the event is the Long Island dot NET User Group. As co-Founder, I'm really proud about… Continue

Added by Steve Levy on November 6, 2008 at 5:19pm — 2 Comments

Bank of England panics!!!

BOE slashed their key rate by 1.5% and FTSE is still hurting; oh the market, oh the market! Tick tick, tick tock...

Added by Steve Levy on November 6, 2008 at 8:07am — No Comments

The legal banning of same sex marriage

In California, Arizona and Florida...have people nothing better to do?

We've talked about this for years in recruiting and how inane laws like this will impact recruiting - an entire pool of talent pissed off and possibly looking for another place to live or turning down offers. Shameful.

Added by Steve Levy on November 6, 2008 at 7:19am — 9 Comments

When recruiters lose their credibility

Networking has always been fun for this introvert but especially so when speaking with a fellow recruiter or HR generalist (to include all levels). Don’t get me wrong, there’s always a rush when I get a C-level on the phone (Jason Alba can attest to this) but I feel when someone of my own ilk is on the other end, it’s as if we both know the punch line from the same joke -… Continue

Added by Steve Levy on November 5, 2008 at 7:00pm — 2 Comments

When a PMP just isn't enough

Hiring Project Managers and have a requirement for a PMP? It's not as if the certification ensures that the person will be a great PM just like AIRS or CIR certs ensure someone being a great sourcer or recruiter or a PHR or SPHR being a great HR person. Please...

Here's a nice article that speaks to the PMP-only syndrome.

Added by Steve Levy on November 5, 2008 at 11:30am — No Comments

An executive compensation model that makes sense

Both candidates for President have publicly acknowledged that executive pay is out of line. In today's NY Times comes a blog post that speaks to a unique compensation model that isn't too far off what the hedgies already receive.

The novel elements include paying bonuses based strictly on accounting performance (rather than stock performance), benchmarking of executives against the… Continue

Added by Steve Levy on November 4, 2008 at 12:56pm — 3 Comments

Vote Americans, Vote

Whether you believe Obama is prepared or not, history is being made. Whether you believe only McCain can protect our country, history is being made. Whether you believe our country needs to change, history is being made. But if you believe that not voting is the best choice you can make because you don't like either candidate, history will pass you by.

The Drum Major Instinct; delivered at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia, on 4 February 1968.

This… Continue

Added by Steve Levy on November 4, 2008 at 8:38am — No Comments

Healthy Twinkies for the health conscious recruiter

The rebranding of the gustatory icon. Can recruiting be that far behind?

Added by Steve Levy on November 3, 2008 at 5:24pm — No Comments

Amex's ConneXion with Social Networking

Flying high with social networking (3 pages)

I'm wondering if within a company that uses social networking platforms recruiting and marketing, these two groups ever get together to collaborate, or are they mutually exclusive efforts? Are silos forever???

Added by Steve Levy on November 3, 2008 at 8:26am — No Comments

Unprofessional to want to be like Slouch

Or so someone emailed me - undoubtedly without understanding our community; didn't even catch the drift that I was having some RBC fun. So I replaced my Slouch picture with something more professional. Hope you like it!

Added by Steve Levy on November 1, 2008 at 8:41am — 5 Comments

FAS 157 and the Financial Crisis

William Isaac, FDIC chairman from 1978 to 1985 and now the chairman of a consulting firm that advises banks...rhetorically asked the participants [at a recent SEC panel on mark-to-market accounting] how the financial system could have come upon such hard times in under two years. "I gotta tell you that I can't come up with any other answer than that the accounting system is destroying too much capital, and therefore diminishing bank lending capacity by some $5 trillion," he asserted.… Continue

Added by Steve Levy on October 31, 2008 at 9:14am — No Comments